#18: 4G LTE Base Stations 337 Complaint

4G LTE Base Stations 337 Complaint

Adaptix, Inc. filed a complaint requesting that the U.S. International Trade Commission commence an investigation pursuant to Section 337.

The complaint alleges that Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson and Ericsson, Inc. (collectively, the “Proposed Respondents”) unlawfully manufacture, import, sell for importation, and sell after importation certain wireless communications base stations and components thereof used in those systems that infringe at least claims 1, 2, 4, 9, 13–16, 20, 21, 31, 32, 34, and 41 of U.S. Patent No. 6,870,808.

According to the complaint, the “808” patent relates generally to techniques for increasing the amount of data that may be transmitted per time period for a given frequency band between a base station and mobile-subscriber units.  Adaptix states that the approaches embodied in the “808” patent were adopted by the wireless-communication industry when the 4G LTE standard was released.  Adaptix asserts that the Proposed Respondents unlawfully manufacture, import, sell for importation, and sell after importation certain wireless communications base stations and components thereof used in those systems that infringe the “808” patent.  Specifically, Adaptix states that the RBS 6000 family of base stations infringe the “808” patent.

According to the Notice of Investigation, the Commission has identified Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson of Sweden and Ericsson, Inc. of Plano, Texas as the respondents in this investigation.

Lastly, Chief ALJ Charles E. Bullock issued a notice indicating that Theodore R. Essex will be the presiding Administrative Law Judge in this investigation.

Inv. No. 337-TA-871

#17: LTE for Public Safety

LTE for Public Safety

LTE standards are being developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, a consortium of six telecommunications standards organizations that has released multiple iterations of specifications.  It is called a Fourth Generation wireless service, but as now used the 4G label is more of a marketing term than a technical term.

LTE operates in a range of radio frequencies, including the 700 MHz band, so it will work in the D Block in that band that has been set aside by the Federal Communications Commission for a public safety network.  LTE is built on TCP/IP and provides a packet-based alternative to circuit-switched GSM networks.  It provides peak downlink rates of about 300 megabits/sec and uplink rates of 75 megabits/sec and incorporates quality of service provisions to minimize latency.  This makes it possible to manage handoffs more effectively, which allows efficient use by fast-moving mobile devices.  It supports both frequency and time division duplex communications, as well as half-duplex FDD (with only one-direction in operation at a time), which enables the use of push-to-talk features that can be used by police to access traditional land mobile radio systems.

Alcatel-Lucent has announced that the company successfully demonstrated full interoperability of its solution for using 4G LTE wireless technology in public safety applications in the United States.  Testing of an end-to-end Alcatel-Lucent Public Safety LTE “Band 14” solution successfully met key criteria, ensuring the provision of continuous network coverage for first responders in the field.

The testing of Alcatel-Lucent’s public safety LTE solution, carried out with technology from other vendors, has taken place alongside a performance evaluation as part of the ‘Phase 3, Part 1’ of the United States Department of Commerce’s Public Safety Communications Research Program.  According to the company, the solution was successfully demonstrated via a series of tests on a network combining Alcatel-Lucent’s evolved packet core (EPC) technology with radio access networks (RAN) from several vendors, and Alcatel-Lucent’s RAN with EPCs from various vendors. The performance testing evaluated whether LTE devices remained connected to a network as well as network throughput.

ALCATEL-LUCENT : completes key interoperability testing of 4G LTE wireless communications for U.S. public safety applications